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THE CONFESSIONS OF A WIFE
A VISIT FROM KITTY MALRAM
(Copyright, 1914, by the Newspaper Enterprise Association.)
"It is awful to think that some peo
pie live in such luxury as this while
some of my poor people are dying for
want of ice," said Kitty Malram as
she wandered over the beautiful Sy
mone home, where she was staying
with me a few days for rest from her
hard settlement work.
"Don't feel that way about Eliene
Symone," I said. "Look how kind she
has been to me and my friends." I
wanted to tell her about Eliene's
adopting the twins also, but I could
not do so without telling her the
Whole story, and that, of course, I
could not do.
"Eliene invited Dick and me here
and told us to use, as long as we
wanted, this house as. our own, invite
whom we pleased, and she insists up
on paying all the bills."
"But my poor people need ice so
badly!" again sighed Kitty. r
"Do you realize that Eliene is mak
ing it nearer possible for your poor
people to have ice by inviting you
here through me for a rest than if
she had given you tons and tons of
ice for this summer? You, my dear
Kitty, with your dynamic personality
rested and enthused by this visit, will
insure tons and tons of ice for your
poor people for seasons to come.
"Sometimes, Kitty dear, I think
that the very poor the down and
outers are not always the ones that
need help most.
"It is the clerk and office man on
small salary that should be given a
little boost now and then. These peo
ple have cultivated and refined their
tastes and knowledge of life by edu
cation until mere existence without
any of the joys they appreciate is a
hardship. Thnik, my .dear, what this
means to Dick and me just at this
time when my accident has cost
so much moiley. It has virtually kept
us out of debt I contend that is great
er chanty than helping people who
are not as welcome additions to so
ciety (in its best sense) as we are.
That is why I am not ashamed to take
it and why I shall pass it on in some
way as soon as possible in the lesser
degree than I am capable of to some
one else.
"I am more interested in the work
ers than the shirkers. I had in my
school a very bright girl, the daugh
ter of a street car conductor who was
getting twenty dollars a week fair
ly good wages but my pupil was one
of ten children. Stretch twenty dol
lars over the food ond housing of
twelve people for a week and you will
Lfind it, isno easy job, let alone buy
ing clothes for them.
"The childern were all healthy and
self-respecting, but as they grew up
they longed for the things that their
friends about them had. These they
Ucould not have. Their father's wage
only provided a roof to cover them
and very little plain food. What are
you going to do for that man? Many
people would say in this case it was
not small wage, but a large family
that was the trouble.
"Kitty, I'd like to devise a way in
which a mother could be given some
thing for each child she bears, to be
hers until the child was old enough
to take care of itself.
"Helping the self-respecting is a
much greater problem than helping
that floating flotsam and jetsam of
humanity that is always demanding
help because it cannot get work.
"It reminds me of an incident my
mother used to tell of a burly man
who came to her back door in Janu
ary whinjng because he could not get
work at his trade. My mother, after
giving him a warm breakfast and 25
cents, bethought herself to ask:
'What is your trade?'
"'Picking strawberries,, ma'am,'
said the man with a grin as he made
off." (To Be Continued Tomorrow.)
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